


A (senti)bug's life

by UltraKart



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Original Character Death(s), Sentibug Lives, Sentimonster (Miraculous Ladybug), Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltraKart/pseuds/UltraKart
Summary: The sentibug lives! And she now has to adjust to a double life as Bugette/Bridgette.(A series of events following Episode: Ladybug)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 55





	1. Another bug

**Author's Note:**

> Been playing with this idea in my mind for a long time. I love twin!aus so here's my take on sentibug lives!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sentimonster is back, and she needs a more flattering name.

Silence.

Emptiness.

And then...

“ _Miraculous Ladybug!_ “

A red and black spotted Sentimonster materialized sprawled on her back atop the Arc de Triomphe.

The sensations of hearing, touch, and sight hit her brain simultaneously. The transition from nothingness to being alive again gave her a sensory overload; her eyes forced shut and she smooshed her hands against her ears. The Sentimonster flopped onto her stomach, wishing for the shock to wear off.

The Sentimonster held that position until she felt somebody touch her shoulder. She looked up to see herself, no, _Ladybug_ , hunched over her. She blinked, dropped her hands from her ears, then _lunged_ at Ladybug and pulled her into a hug.

“You’re alive!“ Ladybug’s hand automatically moved to stroke the Sentimonster’s back.

Chat Noir crouched down and gave the Sentimonster a relieved look, then joined the duo in a hug.

“Hey, how do you feel?“ he asked.

“I feel... good.” The Sentimonster nodded, face still partially buried in Ladybug’s hair.

The three of them sat like that until Ladybug made to stand up.

“I believe you dropped this.” Chat Noir held in his outstretched palm a charm of the Eiffel Tower.

The Sentimonster gasped and carefully lifted it up by the key ring. She hugged the charm to her chest, eyed her surroundings left and right (to make sure Mayura wasn’t around), and hugged it to her chest again. The energy emanating from the charm felt different than a few minutes ago. It was a good kind of different.

“We’re glad to have you back, senti... um...“ Ladybug started.

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged a look. The Sentimonster quietly studied the pair, trying to decipher the silent conversation that seemed to be happening.

Ladybug spoke first.

“What do we call you?“

“I’m... Ladybug?“ the Sentimonster asked more than stated. “Mayura called me that. Then she was mean and forced me to hurt you.“ She pouted at the events that made up her short life. “She used me to pretend to be you, so I guess I’m not Ladybug.“

Chat Noir stepped forward.

“In that case, let’s give you a name!“ Chat Noir punched his fist into his palm. “I say we call you... ‘Sentibug’.“

The Sentimonster put a hand to her chin and her nose wrinkled as she gave it some thought.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure,“ Ladybug interrupted. “The name makes me think of ‘Sentimonster’, and you’re definitely not a monster.“ She booped her double on the nose.

“Hey!“ The Sentimonster giggled and stepped back.

“Okay...“ Chat Noir hummed. “Then how about ‘Bugette’?“

“Well-“

“Bugette...“ The Sentimonster tried the name aloud. She nodded. “I like that. Short and cute. It sounds very me!“

Chat Noir beamed at the newly named Bugette. She blushed and took another step back.

Ladybug giggled at Bugette’s reaction, then approached her double.

“That settles it, then.“ She held out her fist. “Bugette, welcome to the team!“

Chat Noir took the same position as Ladybug, and Bugette eyed them both.

She stood there confused, but a moment later the instincts emerged from the back of her mind and she copied the pose from the two of them.

“ _Pound it!_ “ the three of them chorused.


	2. Chat Noir and his Ladybugs (tbd)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living arrangements for Bugette are made.

Ladybug produced a leather cord from the pocket space in her yoyo. She looped it through the key ring on the Eiffel Tower charm and knotted the makeshift necklace around Bugette’s neck.  


“There you go. Now you don’t need to carry it around all the time.“ Ladybug gave the back of Bugette’s neck a little pat.  


Bugette reached up to feel where the knot was tied.

Right on cue, a familiar chirping noise interrupted the silence.

Ladybug and Chat Noir eyed each other nervously, and Bugette started to fidget.

“So,“ Chat Noir started. “This is usually the part where we leave. But where will Bugette go?“  


“Right. I didn’t think this far. Um...“ Ladybug trailed off.  


“Ooh, I have an idea!“ Bugette spoke up.

The two heroes turned to look at their new partner.

“Chat Noir!“ She bounced over to him. “I want to stay with you.“

His cat ears and tail stood straight up and he backed up in shock.

Ladybug giggled into her hand.

 _Chat Noir losing his composure around someone he just met? You don’t see_ that _every day._

Chat Noir cleared his throat.

“I wish I could, but I can’t.“ Chat Noir shook his head. “My father doesn’t... appreciate visitors.“  


Bugette sagged.

Ladybug let out a breath.

“I can’t exactly think of a good place for you to go either...“  


She instantly regretted saying those words, because the poor Bugette looked like she was about to cry.

 _She looks so... vulnerable,_ Ladybug thought. _We both want to help her, but we can’t do anything about it._

Ladybug thought back to her own predicament from earlier that day, and of Adrien, Alya, and her own parents. They believed in Marinette’s innocence, but none were unable to change the mind of Principle Damocles.

 _I couldn’t save myself from getting expelled... but I_ can _do something about Bugette!_

Ladybug made up her mind.

“Hey.“ She touched Bugette’s arm. “I can find you a place to stay.“  


Bugette took a deep breath in to calm herself.

“Really?“  


“Yep! Come on, let’s go before I detransform. We’re headed to my place.“ Ladybug reached for her yoyo and stepped towards the edge of the Arc de Triomphe.

“Milady, wait.“ Chat Noir jogged up to her before she could leave.  


“Yes?“  


“Are you sure you’re up to this? You always tell me how hectic your personal life gets. If it helps, I can try to work out something with my father or...?“  


“Shh, Chat.“ Ladybug put a finger to Chat Noir’s nose, silencing him. “I’ll deal for now. We can figure out how to better take care of her later.“

Chat Noir nodded, careful not to make Ladybug’s finger go up his nose.

Ladybug smiled and turned to her double. “You ready, Bugette?”

“Right, Ladybug.“  


The two bugs threw their yoyos and made to leap.

“Wait, one more thing!”, Chat Noir interrupted.  


The two bugs stared at him.

“ _Are_ we ‘Chat Noir and his Ladybugs’?“  


Ladybug rolled her eyes and gave him a quick chin scratch.

“See you at patrol, kitty.“  


Ladybug and Bugette _zipped_ away in stereo.


	3. Another Marinette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette needs to make sure that Bugette is no longer connected to Mayura, and she learns something interesting about the nature of her own Miraculous.

The pair of Ladybugs dropped into an alley a few blocks from the _Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie._

“Bugette, turn around!“ Ladybug whisper-shouted as her earrings gave a final chirp.

“Why?“  


“I need you to, uh, stand guard and make sure nobody sees us here.“  


Bugette nodded and dutifully performed an about-face, facing outside the alley. She resisted the urge to look at the flash of pink light from behind her.

Tikki dropped onto Marinette’s outstretched palm, and Marinette’s hand automatically moved to her purse to retrieve a cookie for Tikki. She accepted the cookie and idly observed their surroundings.

“Why did we stop here?“ Tikki asked after swallowing a bite of cookie.  


Marinette looked over at Bugette, who twitched when she heard a new voice but remained in her position.

“I know that Bugette is no longer controlled by anyone, but I need to make sure that Mayura can’t track her and get to us,” Marinette said. “Tikki, can you-“  


“No, you can’t come in here!“ Bugette shouted.

Marinette’s head snapped up towards the source of the commotion. Up until now, she’d been pretty lucky at avoiding eavesdroppers in random alleys. She instinctively began to crouch behind a dumpster but paused when her eyes finally focused on who, or rather _what,_ Bugette was yelling at.

She saw her double bent on the ground trying to shoo away a little black cat that had wandered in.

Marinette relaxed and stepped away from the dumpster.

“Hey!“ she called out. “It’s only a kitten. Nothing to worry about.“  


“Oh.“  


Bugette stared at the cat, and it blinked at her in return. She held out her arms, and the cat climbed up onto her.

Marinette gazed fondly at Bugette as she played with the intruding cat. Bugette was only a few hours old, so she had this adorable sense of curiosity of the world. She was much like Manon in that sense.

Marinette turned her attention back to Tikki.

“I don’t get it, Tikki,“ Marinette started again. “Other Sentimonsters don’t come back after being released. Not that I’m complaining, but how is Bugette alive?“  


Tikki thought for a moment.

“The magic of the Ladybug and Peacock can produce unpredictable results when they interact. I believe that granting Bugette her freedom made her a permanent part of this world. The Miraculous Ladybugs reacted accordingly and restored her back to life.“

Marinette was stunned at the new information. _I created... a life?_

“Oh, and Bugette is a very cute name,“ Tikki continued. “One of my past holders was around your age, and she also called herself that.“  


“She is, isn’t she?“ Marinette agreed. “But back to my first question. Can she be tracked? Things would get pretty complicated if our new partner is also a beacon for Mayura...“

Marinette and Tikki glanced around as if the very mention of Mayura’s name could summon her.

“I can find out.“ Tikki nodded before floating over to Bugette. Tikki stopped in front of her face. “Hello, my name is Tikki. I’m a friend of Ladybug’s.”

Bugette stopped stroking the cat, now draped around her shoulders, to stare at Tikki. The kwami was tiny, and looked _very_ huggable. Bugette _really wanted to hug it._

Tikki wilted a little at Bugette’s stare, but she continued anyway.

“Do you mind if I check for something?“  


Bugette nodded.

“Okay, I need you to relax yourself...“ Tikki inched foward.

Tikki made contact with Bugette’s forehead, holding her with both paws. She probed for traces of magic from the Peacock, for anything that Mayura could latch onto and use to take control. Tikki felt none; she could only feel her own magic within the Sentimonster. Peering into Bugette’s soul, still contained within the Eiffel Tower charm, gave Tikki a familiar sensation. The feeling was similar to what Tikki felt when fusing with Marinette to grant her power.

 _Hmm,_ Tikki thought to herself. _The Miraculous Ladybugs must have modeled Bugette after Marinette instead of what Mayura had originally created. Could that mean what I think it means?_

During the process, Bugette stared cross-eyed up at the tiny creature stuck onto her forehead. She tried to relax and not, say, vibrate from excitement because she got a hug from the tiny and very huggable creature. It was a difficult task, but she managed.

Tikki reopened her eyes and drifted backwards. She gave a reassuring smile to Bugette, then floated over to Marinette to report her findings.

“We’re all good! She has no trace of Mayura left.“  


“Whew, that’s a weight off my chest. So then-“  


“There’s something else, too,” Tikki interrupted.  


Marinette didn’t like the way her kwami had phrased that, but Tikki didn’t look concerned. Marinette nodded for her Tikki to continue.

“As I said, the Ladybug and Peacock can react unpredictably. The Miraculous Ladybugs didn’t simply restore the Sentimonster. They recreated _you._ “  


Marinette’s eyes widened.

“She’s... me?“  


“Yes.” Tikki nodded slowly. “Bugette is as real a girl as you are. But you must be careful with her. She has a real heart, but her soul is still bound to that little charm. You must protect it.“  


Marinette swallowed as she absorbed the new information.

 _Alright, so I have a clone of myself now,_ Marinette thought to herself. _Not how I expected today to go. But hey, she’s a sweetie, not an evil clone. I can make this work._

“Right, so she’s a clone of me. If that’s the case, then can she...?“  


Marinette didn’t need to finish that question for Tikki to understand what she meant.

“There’s only one way to find out!“ Tikki gave her an encouraging nod.  


“Okay, here goes...” Marinette turned to face Bugette, who was now petting the cat as it napped on the ground. “Bugette? You can turn around now.“  


She did, then she eyed Marinette up and down.

“Ladybug? You changed your clothes?“  


“No, I- uh“, Marinette started to clarify. “I’ll explain later. Right now I want you to repeat after me, okay?“ She moved to hold both of Bugette’s hands in her own.  


“Okay.“ Bugette tilted her head to the side.  


“Say, ‘spots off’.“  


“ _Spots off._ “  


The alley filled once again with pink light, and Marinette gasped.

Marinette thought that nothing could truly surprise her anymore. She already knew who she would see underneath Bugette’s mask. But seeing her suspicions confirmed in front of her eyes still sent a tingle through her spine.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was holding in her hands another, totally identical, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.


	4. Meeting the parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bugette learns a few rules about being a civilian.

Bugette twisted around and around, studying her new outfit. Every aspect of her looked exactly identical to Marinette. Even the purse, which Marinette was currently examining, had Marinette’s secret signature stitched into the interior.

The only way to tell the two of them apart was the Eiffel Tower charm that hung from Bugette’s neck.

“Wow,“ Marinette breathed out as she lowered the purse from eye-level. “The Miraculous Ladybugs were... very thorough.“

 _It’s a good thing my parents loved_ The Parent Trap _, I guess,_ Marinette thought to herself.

Marinette handed the purse back to Bugette, who stopped spinning and accepted the purse.

“Okay, before I introduce you to my parents, I need to tell you a couple things,“ Marinette said.

Bugette’s vision was still spinning, but she shook her head and tried to focus on Marinette.

Marinette took that as a sign that she was paying attention, so she continued.

“First of all, hi.“ Marinette offered her a handshake. “My name is Marinette.“

Bugette accepted the handshake, but she gave Marinette a dubious look.

“I thought you were Ladybug.“

Marinette let go and scratched the back of her head.

“Well, yes and no?“ For such an easy question, Marinette realized she had no _simple_ explanation.

“It, uh, goes something like this. In the daytime, I’m Marinette...“

* * *

Marinette led the way to the bakery as Bugette trailed behind, sorting out in her head the minor information dump she had just received. Marinette impressed on her the importance of keeping a separate civilian and superhero life, and keeping said superhero life a complete secret from everybody. Bugette also got a brand new civilian identity: Bridgette.

“Bridgette...“ she said, testing how her new name sounded aloud. “Bridgette. Bridgette? Bridgette! Brrrrrrrridgette.“

She frowned and ran up to Marinette.

“Marineeeeeeette!” she whined. “The more I say my name, the weirder it sounds!“

Marinette laughed. _All my training from Manon has lead up to this, huh?_

“Your name isn’t weird. Everything sounds weird if you say it enough times.“

Bridgette appeared thoughtful for a moment then nodded, apparently pleased with her name again.

The pair crossed the street and arrived at their destination.

“Aaaaand, here we are. Home.“ Marinette gestured to the back entrance of the bakery.

“Home!“ Bridgette repeated. She skipped up to the door and threw it wide open.

“Bug... Bridgette! Wait-“ Marinette startled. It was too late; her “twin” had already went inside, and Marinette had no choice but to follow her.

They bumped into Sabine first.

“Marinette!“ Sabine had her arms occupied carrying a mixing bowl. “You’re home ear...ly?“

She froze when she realized there were _two_ Marinettes standing in front of her, and promptly dropped the bowl full of batter.

The loud _bang_ caused Tom to come charging into the room. His enormous mass skidded to a halt in front of his wife.

“Honey, what happened?“

Sabine weakly raised a finger and pointed in the direction of the “twins”.

Tom looked at the two of them, and his legs began to wobble. Marinette rushed forwards to prop him up before he could completely collapse.

“Hello!“ Bridgette greeted cheerily, waving with both hands. She completely missed the atmosphere in the room. “My name is Bridgette!“


	5. Bridgette Dupain-Cheng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dupain-Chengs acquire a brand new child!

The Dupain-Chengs (plus Bridgette) had moved to the kitchen, and Bridgette was sat at the counter in front of a plate of croissants which she was busy tearing into. Marinette stood to her side and had a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me get this straight,“ Tom Dupain pinched the bridge of his nose. “You left to meet with Alya, but ran into an akuma instead.”

“Correct.“ Marinette nodded.

“And this akuma had the ability to... clone people?“ He glanced over at “Bridgette“.

“Yes! You got it.“ Marinette clapped her hands in front of her. “She was a... biologist! And she was having the worst luck with her cloning experiments.“ She gave an unconvincing smile to her parents.

Tom stepped back and put a hand to his chin in thought. Sabine had her arms crossed, trying to find the right words to say.

Marinette looked between her parents. _They don’t seem mad, just confused. This is a good start._

“There’s something I don’t understand,“ Sabine finally spoke up. She moved to the side of the counter where Bridgette was sat, mentally noting that Bridgette had almost polished off the plate of croissants. “Why didn’t we see the akuma on the news?“

Marinette’s breath caught. _So much for a good start. Okay, don’t panic. I can save myself from this._

“Um... the news people were...” she trailed off. “They didn’t see the akuma because everyone was...?” She glanced down at Bridgette to avoid the gaze of her parents.

Bridgette paused her munching when she felt eyes on her and looked back up at Marinette. She swallowed her bite before speaking.

“They were distracted?“ Bridgette offered.

Marinette slowly turned her head upwards.

“Ex...actly! The akuma was sent out at the same time Mayura showed up.“ Marinette leaned forward and smacked the table with both hands for emphasis. “ _All_ the news cameras were distracted by her and nobody paid attention to the akuma. After she fled, Ladybug and Chat Noir made quick work of the akuma before anyone noticed. Well, not before the akuma noticed _me._ And...“

Marinette gestured with both hands towards Bridgette, who had resumed her munching.

Neither Tom nor Sabine knew what to say. The silence was beginning to feel unbearable for Marinette.

Marinette gave her parents a winning smile. Bridgette burped.

“Goodness, sweetie,“ Sabine laughed and put a hand on Bridgette's shoulder. “Would you like more?“

“Yes, please!“

Tom crossed his arms and beamed at Bridgette.

“Like I always say, my croissants are kid tested; kid approved!“

The tension seeped from Marinette’s shoulders. With a single word (well, a burp), Bridgette had dispelled the awkwardness in the room. _You deserve way more than just croissants for that save just now,_ she thought to herself. _Thank you, Bridgette._

Now that everyone felt at ease again, Marinette made her request:

“So... can Bug- er, Bridgette stay with us? She doesn’t have anywhere else to go.“ Marinette gave her parents her best pleading expression.

“Pleeeeease?“ Bridgette mimicked Marinette.

Tom and Sabine gave each other a look, briefly having a silent conversation between themselves.

As expressive as Tom Dupain can be, Marinette was unable to read his face this time.

“Well,“ Sabine broke the silence and set a new plate in front of Bridgette. “Tom always did dream of having twins.“ She smiled down at her.

Tom chuckled. “That I did!” He placed his own hand on Bridgette's other shoulder. “And we already feed half of Paris on a daily basis, so what’s one more? We’d be happy to let you stay here.”

Bridgette looked between the two adults that had warmed up to her so quickly. She had known them for less than an hour, but they didn’t feel like strangers at all. In a convoluted way, Tom and Sabine _are_ her parents.

“Are you my parents now? _EEP!_ “

Tom scooped Bridgette into his huge arms and crushed her in a hug.

“That we are!“ He spun around with Bridgette still in his arms. “Welcome to the family, Bridgette.“

“Ah-“ Bridgette flailed her arms while stuck in his grip. “Th-thank you...“

Bridgette continued flailing her arms but stopped when Sabine and Marinette moved in to join the group hug. The newly expanded Dupain-Cheng family held each other close. For the first time in her short life, Bridgette felt truly safe.

...

The moment was interrupted by the phone suddenly ringing.

“ _Call from Collège Françoise Dupont,_ “ a robotic voice announced.

Tom sighed and gently placed Bridgette back on the ground. (She dusted herself off and began shuffling back to the plate of croissants) His anger flared up when he recalled the events from earlier that day, and the unfair punishment that the school administrators had handed his daughter.

“This had better be good.“ He picked up the phone.


	6. Uncanny resemblance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bugette is left alone while the Dupain-Chengs attend a meeting at school.  
> A certain someone stops by for a visit while they're out.

The Dupain-Chengs (minus Bridgette) had left for an urgent meeting at school, leaving Bridgette alone with Tikki for the time being.

Tikki had led Bridgette up to Marinette's room to find something to occupy her with while they waited. And occupied she was, scrutinizing the collage of Adrien photos on the cork board. Her eyebrows and nose scrunched up as she silently studied the pictures.

"Chat Noir looks weird without the cat eyes," she decided finally.

Tikki let out a panicked squeak and _zipped_ up to Bridgette's face.

"U-um, that's not Chat Noir! That's Adrien. He's Marinette's friend." She ducked down to the computer and pecked at the keyboard to pull up Adrien's Instagram.

In the photo, Adrien posed in front of the bakery with a half-eaten macaroon in his hand.

But Bridgette would not be distracted so easily.

"He has the same hair color as Chat. They both look like bananas."

Tikki visibly wilted because she _did_ have a point there. _Perhaps a slightly different tactic will work...?_

She put on her best Marinette Game Face and breathed in.

" _Adrien_ comes by the bakery often, so you'll probably meet him soon. You shouldn't call him Chat Noir, or rumors might start spreading and we don't want that."

Bridgette sat down to look closely at Not Chat Noir on the screen and thought about it... then gave a half-convinced shrug and spun the chair around the other way. Her gaze began to float about the room.

With Bridgette (seemingly) out of identity reveal territory, Tikki relaxed and made her way over to the cookie jar that Marinette kept on her desk. Considering the events of the past day alone, she was ready to eat her problems away.

She wasn't able to fully unscrew the lid before a familiar _thump thump_ noise from above interrupted her.

Bridgette's face snapped upwards to the skylight.

 _Oh no._ Tikki was panicking again. _Chat Noir can't be here! Not_ now!

She darted over to Bridgette's hand and began to pull hard.

"You. Have. To. Hide!" she exclaimed in between tugs.

"What? Why?" Bridgette said as she began shuffling in the direction that the tiny kwami was pulling. She didn't make it two steps before the face of a certain cat popped through the skylight.

"Marinette! Hi!" he greeted while still upside-down.

Bridgette jumped into a defensive stance when she heard his voice. Tikki, who had no time to find a hiding spot, pressed herself against Bridgette's backside and stayed deathly still.

"Oh! Hi kitty." Bridgette relaxed her stance when she realized who the intruder was.

The rest of Chat Noir dropped onto the bed, and he slid on the handrail from the bunk bed down to the floor to land in front of Bridgette.

"Princess," he gave a deep bow. "I come with a message."

Bridgette said nothing, too focused on how his hair clumped together like bananas. _How does his hair do that?_ she wondered to herself. She would have to ask Marinette about that later. Speaking of Marinette...

"Marinette isn't-" she started.

He cleared his throat, interrupting her, then stood up with the posture expected of a royal messenger, and opened his mouth to deliver his message.

No sound came out, and instead his posture crumbled and he and pulled Bridgette into a hug.

"I ran into Adrien just now and he told me what happened at school. He's really worried about you, Marinette. And I am, too."

Bridgette wasn't sure why she was receiving so many hugs today. First from Ladybug and Chat Noir, then all the Dupain-Chengs, and now from Chat Noir again. Not that she was complaining.

(Tikki narrowly dodged Chat Noir's arms when he wrapped them around Bridgette's back)

"I, um, thank you..." She returned his hug. "But Marinette isn't-!"

"Adrien wants to let you know that he's pulling some strings. Lila is dealt with and you can come back to school! Everything will be okay." Chat Noir pulled back just enough to see her face. He gave her the best reassuring look that he could muster.

Bridgette gave him a confused look in return.

She didn't look relieved, which worried Chat Noir.

"Marinette? Are you okay?"

"Hmph!" Bridgette's cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "Are _you_ going to listen to me now? I'm _not_ Marinette!"

"What!" Chat Noir jumped backwards.

Unfortunately, his bell collar had gotten caught in the leather cord holding Bridgette's charm, so his jump made them both lose balance and they crashed onto the chaise lounge.

His claws flailed as he tried to untangle his bell. Bridgette simply crossed her arms and pouted at him while he worked. After a few moments, he finally freed himself and sprung to his feet away from the chaise.

"Who... what...? Marinette?" He weakly lifted a claw in her direction.

Bridgette continued to pout at him.

"I tried to tell you, Marinette isn't home." She stamped her foot as she stood up. "And my name is Bug-!"

"We're home~!" Marinette practically leapt upwards through the trapdoor in the floor.

She fumbled the landing when she saw the standoff happening in front of her and nearly fell back down the stairs. She steadied herself and properly climbed up into the room.

"Uh..."

All three of them just gawked at each other, too stupefied to say anything.

An overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over Chat Noir as he turned his head between the two girls.

Marinette spotted Tikki from the corner of her vision giving her a pleading look.

Bridgette was the one to break the silence, pointing to Chat Noir.

"Marinette, Chat came here to tell you something."

He stood up straight when he heard his name.

"Um... yes. I come with a..." His voice lowered to a squeak. "...message?"

Marinette smacked her face with both hands and suppressed the world's loudest sigh.


	7. Coincidences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a plan for Bugette.  
> Well, she HAD a plan. As it turns out, Chat Noir is good at breaking those, too.

Marinette didn't want to keep Bugette a secret forever.

She didn't plan on keeping _Bugette_ a secret at all.

Her (work-in-progress) plan for introducing the world to Bugette went something like this:

First and foremost, she would have to make sure nobody freaks out at the sight of two Ladybugs fighting akumas or going on patrols. As soon as possible, Ladybug would arrange an interview with Alya, and the citizens of Paris would meet Bugette for the first time via the _Ladyblog._

 _Bridgette_ would remain hidden in the bakery for a little while longer. After some time had passed, Marinette would finally introduce Bridgette to her close friends. (Bridgette still needs a good cover story, but Marinette hadn't gotten to that part yet)

By staggering the introductions, Marinette had hoped that nobody would notice that Ladybug and Marinette suddenly obtained a twin at the same time.

Thanks to Chat Noir, however, it seems that Marinette's plans have been flipped.

_Welp._

Chat Noir was glancing between Marinette and Bridgette, waiting for _someone_ to say something.

A beat of silence passed before Marinette spoke up.

"Hey, Chat." She tried to sound casual. "I didn't expect you today...?"

"Oh, uh, you know me." His face was turned to Marinette but his eyes were still on her double. "I'm just full of surprises."

Marinette just stood there and nodded.

Chat Noir wrung his fingers together.

Bridgette was trying to stand on her toes to get a good look of Chat Noir's scalp.

Another beat of silence passed before they _all_ spoke at once.

"Were there always two of-"

"Listen, it's not what you think-"

"Your hair looks like bananas."

Chat Noir sputtered, then ran his claws through his hair. He spun around to examine his fringe in Marinette's full-body mirror.

"What, no way! My hair doesn't look like bananas. It's perfectly floofy! Like a floofy cat." He crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks as if to prove his point further.

"But it totally does!" Bridgette protested.

"No it... ugh." He shook his head vigorously (letting his floofy hair fly) and put on a serious face. "Anyway! I'm too young to be wearing cat-contacts. Why am I seeing," he flailed an arm at each of them, "double!?"

Marinette took a step forward and to speak before Bridgette could further argue about... bananas.

"Chat, meet Bridgette." She gave him a pleasant enough smile. "She's my cousin from, uh, London!"

Marinette internally cringed. Ideally, she would involve her parents and Bridgette in the planning process for her cover story. She hoped Bridgette would play along for now.

"Oh." The tension in Chat Noir's shoulders relaxed now that he had an answer. "Well why didn't you say so! Hi!" He reached out to offer a handshake to Bridgette. "I'm Chat Noir."

Bridgette accepted his handshake but gave him a dubious look. "I already know who you are. Earlier today we-"

"UM!" Marinette interjected. "Yeah, Bridgette is a big fan of yours, Chat! She knows aaaaaall about you already."

Chat Noir put a hand on his chest and pretended to be taken aback. He then raised his arms above his head and _flexed._

"I see! My reputation purr-cedes me." He gave a wink.

Bridgette shrunk back from him, and her cheeks noticeably colored.

It was Marinette's turn to finally relax. Chat Noir was back to being his usual goofy self and _not_ at all suspicious of Bridgette, the Not-Sentimonster.

 _Good, good. I only gotta keep this up for... the rest of my life_ , Marinette thought to herself.

"You know, Mari," Chat Noir put a hand on her shoulder and gestured with the other hand to Bridgette. "I came here to tell you something, and I thought she was _you_. Totally ruined the dramatic and heartfelt moment I thought I was having."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yup, Bridgette loves to dress up as me. We used to love fooling our parents like that. Totally fooled you too!" She pointed finger guns at Chat Noir. "Though our family tells us that it's kinda freaky."

"Y-yeah." Chat Noir mumbled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Just a freaky coincidence."

His attention had turned back to Bridgette, who had resumed examining the Adrien collage. He didn't miss how she would keep glancing back and forth between the photos on the wall and himself. He also didn't miss the way her nose scrunched up, and how eerily familiar that expression looked.

Chat Noir was distracted from his thoughts when Bridgette pulled one of the photos off of the cork board and presented it to him.

"Here."

"Yes?" He took it from her.

"Your hair is like bananas."

"No it... fine." He relented, noting how stubborn Bridgette is and unwilling to stop discussing bananas quite yet. "My hair looks like bananas."

"Why don't you have cat eyes?" She pointed to the photo.

"I... what?" Chat Noir looked at the photo, then visibly tensed when he realized what Bridgette meant. "Oh, um...!"

Marinette watched the little exchange happen, wondering what had Chat Noir so nervous all of a sudden. It was just a photo of Adrien. He never got nervous around all the ads of _Adrien, the Fragrance_ that were plastered around the city.

"Why don't you have cat eyes?" Bridgette pressed on.

Chat Noir gulped.

"Y'know... because _that's_ Adrien Agreste and I'm me! And Adrien isn't a cat, last I checked. Maybe his stylist doubles as a pet groomer? Could explain why we both have banana hair, eh heh..."

Marinette gaped at him. She was used to him saying weird things, but this behavior was strange even for him.

He began to shuffle over to the stairs leading to the skylight.

"Anyway! _Chat Noir_ has to go home now. It was nice meeting you, Bridgette! And Bye, Mari!"

He scampered up the stairs on all fours and leapt up through the skylight.

Marinette watched through the window as he vaulted onto a nearby building and broke into a sprint as soon as his feet touched the roof.

 _Seriously, what's made him so skittish?_ She looked out the window until Chat Noir was barely a dot in her vision. _Oh well, I'll find out later. For now..._

"Alright, Bridgette?"

"Hmm?" She had a few photos in her hands now, and it looked like she was in the process of rearranging them on the collage.

"Could you sit down for a moment? We have a _lot_ to talk about."


	8. Bugette meets the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's friends meet Bridgette, and the populace of Paris meets Bugette.  
> Nobody suspects a thing.

"Hi, is this Tom and Sabine's?"

"No, this is Bridgette!"

"Oh sorry, wrong num-"

_click_

Bridgette put her fists on her hips and glared at the phone that sat on the front counter of the bakery. Today was her turn to man the storefront while Marinette helped in the kitchen. Bridgette didn't mind dealing with customers, but phone calls annoyed her. The people calling _never_ got her name right.

Just over a month had passed since Bridgette first materialized into this world, and Marinette's (slightly altered) plan for not exposing either of their alter-egos was going swimmingly.

* * *

The Dupain-Chengs had gotten together, and they cooked (baked?) up a backstory for "Bridgette". She became Marinette's cousin from London. Bridgette and her parents were supposed to move to Paris together, but her parents had commitments to wrap up at their jobs, so Bridgette came first.

Later that week, a visit from Alya and Nino turned into an impromptu "welcome back, Marinette" party at the bakery. Most of the class met Bridgette that day. She was a bit nervous around so many new faces, but she got along with everyone in the end.

To everyone's surprise, even Adrien could make it to the party. Bridgette's nervousness _vanished_ when he showed up.

"I'd like you to meet someone!" Marinette said as she led Adrien into the family room where everyone was gathered.

Adrien already knew who this "someone" was, but he reminded himself that he technically hasn't met Bridgette yet. She was a sweet girl, but a chill went up Adrien's spine when he remembered their last encounter and how she nearly outed his identity right there and then.

 _Then again_ , he supposed, _Marinette wouldn't be the_ worst _person to reveal my identity to. I trust her._

His train of thought was interrupted when Bridgette skipped over to him.

"Hello!" She held her hands behind her back and was bouncing in place.

Marinette set a hand on Bridgette's shoulder. "This is my cousin Bridgette. She just moved here from London."

"I'm Adrien." He offered her a handshake, which she enthusiastically accepted. "Nice to meet you! ...eh?"

Adrien shifted uncomfortably when Bridgette held onto his hand for a few seconds too long.

She let go, then reached up with both of her hands to grab a clump of Adrien's hair. She tugged his hair upwards so it looked like Adrien had ears on the top of his head.

"You look cuter with cat ears."

Adrien's breath caught in his throat. _Not this again..._ he whined internally. He hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with her comparing him to Chat Noir (and vice versa) _every_ time they met. She would have to get tired of asking if he just kept denying it, right?

"You think so? Because I'm actually more of, uhm, a dog person," he said lamely. He wanted to move away from her, but she was still holding onto his hair.

"Yes!" Bridgette was undeterred. "Marinette has this cat ear headband and I think you should try it on. I can go get it!" She finally let go of his hair then spun away from him on her toes and ran off.

Adrien gave a bewildered stare at the spot on the floor where Bridgette just was.

Marinette shuffled closer to him.

"She warmed up to you pretty quickly, huh?"

"Yeah!" Adrien looked up at her and nodded with a little too much energy. "She seems nice."

He said nothing else.

 _Would you look at that. Bridgette has the power to stun blond_ _boys,_ Marinette mentally noted.

Bridgette returned back downstairs empty-handed.

"I couldn't find the headband in your room," she pouted at Marinette.

Adrien released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Aww, that's too bad." He tried to sound casual. "I wonder what happened to it?"

Marinette scratched her chin in thought. "I dunno. I made it for a cosplay I was thinking of doing at the time, but I lost it a long time ago. Bridgette, where did _you_ find it?"

Bridgette was busy circling around Adrien, eyeing him from head to toe. Adrien was feeling nervous again.

 _Aren't cats supposed to be predators?_ He gulped. _Why do I feel like prey right now?_

She was still circling as she answered Marinette's question.

"I found it in your closet yesterday, and I left it on your desk. It was still there this morning. Someone took it!"

Bridgette was correct. Tikki had overheard the conversation between Bridgette and Adrien, and she snatched the offending headband as soon as Bridgette ran off. In a panic, she chucked it off of the balcony and into the streets below. Sometime soon, she was going to have a stern conversation with Bridgette about hunting for Chat Noir's identity...

Marinette only shrugged, not too concerned about the mystery of the missing cat ears.

"It's no big deal. I can make you new ones. Later though! Someone just fired up _Ultimate Mecha Strike_ and I _have_ to show Adrien what I've been labbing. Come on!" She leapt over the couch and landed next to where Max was already sitting, startling him.

"Oh yeah! _Mecha Strike_ sounds great. I haven't gotten the chance to try the new DLC yet," Adrien said.

He was thankful beyond words for the distraction. Even Bridgette perked up at the mention of Marinette's favorite video game. She hadn't gotten a chance to play it yet, but she was willing to try if Marinette liked it.

Adrien moved to sit beside Marinette, and Bridgette squeezed in beside him. Adrien was effectively trapped between both girls, and a memory from several months ago resurfaced in his mind's eye.

_"Two Ladybugs?" Chat Noir held both his hands to his heart. "I'm in heaven...!"_

_Both Ladybugs pouted at him but said nothing._

Back in the present, Adrien glanced between the two girls that flanked him. The situation felt a little _too_ familiar to him. Then again...

 _Hmm, no. This isn't the same thing,_ Adrien decided. _Bridgette is from London, not six minutes into the future._

Adrien shook his head clear of those thoughts and focused his eyes on the TV where Marinette was making quick work of Max. Adrien raised his hand.

"I call playing-"

Max's bot crumpled to the ground.

"-winner. Oh hey it's over already!"

Max handed over the controller to Adrien and got up from the couch, but Marinette didn't move. Not that Adrien minded. Being shoulder-to-shoulder with Marinette felt... nice.

"Alright, Adrien. Check this out! I've been working on my new main..."

The two of them fell into a rhythm of bashing each other's bot, laughing, and even the occasional trash talk. (The competitive nature of the game really brought it out of both of them)

Even Bridgette, who had never played the game before, proved to be a formidable opponent when it was her turn to play. Marinette realized in that moment that Bridgette wasn't just a physical clone of herself; Bridgette even retained her muscle memory from playing _Ultimate Mecha Strike III._

Adrien finally let himself fully relax. Whenever Bridgette wasn't talking about cats (or bananas), she was awesome to hang around. He was also just a tad jealous of her prowess at _Ultimate Mecha Strike III._

 _It must run in the family,_ he figured.

* * *

There were no more customers at this time of night, so there was nobody to see Bridgette dancing to the opening of the _Miraculous_ movie that she played on Marinette's borrowed phone.

Marinette actually took inspiration from the movie when she initially invented a civilian identity for Bugette. Her twin became _enamored_ with the character Bridgette when she first watched it. She even made a point to dress like her namesake every day.

Eyes closed, she continued to dance. She visualized the moves of the movie version of Ladybug and tried her best to mimic them.

Still without looking, she launched herself into the final twirl of the routine... only to slip on a spilled drink that she had neglected to clean up from earlier.

"Wuh-!? Aaaaaah!!!" Her entire body came tumbling down.

She braced herself for impact, but felt a hand grab onto her instead.

Bridgette looked up to see Marinette, struggling to keep her own balance as she held firm onto Bridgette and also a tray of leftover goodies.

"Hey," she wheezed. "Shift's over."

The two of them awkwardly leaned on each other for a few more seconds longer before straightening into a proper standing position.

Bridgette dusted herself off and turned to face Marinette. "Are we leaving now?" Her feet started moving, and her butt noticeably wiggled with excitement.

Marinette held back a laugh. Bridgette really was an adorable little thing. She stepped to the side and her eyes were drawn to Bridgette's butt wiggle.

 _Wait, did she pick that up from_ me? Marinette wondered to herself. _Do I do that too without realizing it?_

Her phone buzzed with a reminder to meet Alya for an interview soon.

_You know what, let's figure that out later._

"Yeah, we can leave as soon as we move all the leftovers into the back. A little help?"

Bridgette nodded and silently started piling her own tray with unsold goods.

With the storefront emptied, the two girls made their way up to Marinette's room. Marinette peeked her head through the skylight to make sure Chat Noir wasn't waiting for her on the balcony _tonight_ of all nights. Satisfied that there were no cats on the roof, she climbed up and motioned for Bridgette to follow.

"Okay, this is it. Tonight, all of Paris will meet Bugette, the new hero of Paris! Are you ready?"

Bridgette didn't answer.

Marinette turned to look at her. Bridgette was always eager to speak her mind, so it felt strange for her to be silent for once. The look on her face suggested that she wanted to say something, but didn't know _how_ to say it.

"Hey." Marinette reached out to touch her arm. "Is there something wrong?"

Bridgette simply looked at the floor.

There was a pause before she spoke.

"Watching you and Chat Noir on the news, and on the _Ladyblog_... you look so _cool!_ " Her fists clenched in front of her. "And I was really excited to finally be like you, fighting bad guys. But what if I'm no good at it? What if I mess up the interview with Alya and people think I'm a bad Ladybug?"

Marinette was stunned. Up until now, Bridgette had acted anything _but_ nervous. She always clapped and cheered for Ladybug and Chat Noir when watching battle highlight reels put together by Alya.

 _I guess Alya makes us look_ too _cool,_ Marinette thought. _Poor Bridgette was afraid that she wouldn't be able to live up to those standards._

"Hey." Marinette reached to hold both of Bridgette's hands in hers. "It's okay to feel scared. You don't have to be the world's best Ladybug from the very start. Even Chat Noir and I didn't have a great start."

"Really?" Bridgette looked up to meet Marinette's gaze.

"Yup." Marinette grimaced at the recollection of Stoneheart. "Our first mission went pretty _rocky._ "

Bridgette gave her a blank look.

"And!" Tikki added. "Even the best Ladybugs don't always get things right the first time. What's important is that you try your best to fix it in the very end!" Tikki gave her a reassuring smile.

Bridgette still looked nervous.

Marinette decided to try a new tactic.

"It's alright if _you_ don't feel up to the test when things go wrong. We're a team, remember? Chat Noir will also be there to help out."

Some of the excitement returned to Bridgette's face at the mention of him.

Marinette grinned even wider. "Would it help if I called him to join us for the interview?"

Bridgette bounced on her feet. "Yes! I'd like that."

"Okay, let's get to it then!" Marinette punched her fist into her palm. "You know what to do, right?"

"Mhm." Bridgette nodded.

 _"Spots on!"_ the two girls exclaimed in unison.

* * *

"Ladybug! Sorry I'm late," Alya said as she burst through the doors of the theater building holding a tripod. She jogged up to the stage and craned her neck to take in her surroundings. "Hey, isn't this the place where we did your first interview?"

Ladybug rose from one of the chairs that she managed to find. "Yup, it's the very one. And don't worry about being late. We're in no big rush."

Alya set down the tripod and took her own seat with a huff. "My little sisters made me late. Bath time is a _real_ struggle with those two. I love them and all, but _man_ twins can sometimes be a headache. Even when they're not Akumatized." Alya looked up at Ladybug, who had a bemused expression on her face, but otherwise made no attempt to stop her rant. "...anyway, enough about my life." She grabbed the tripod and began to fiddle with it. "What's going on? Your 'little announcement' must be pretty big if you needed me to livestream it."

Ladybug shrugged in response. It wasn't often that she got the chance to mess with Alya, so she was definitely going to take that opportunity tonight.

"Oh, it's nothing much. Maybe a livestream is overkill, actually."

Alya paused tightening one of the knobs on the tripod.

"You're kidding."

There was now a glint of mischief in Ladybug's eyes.

"Besides, you're going to be streaming to the entirety of Paris tonight!" Ladybug continued. "Well, everyone that follows the _Ladyblog_ anyway. I'm just no good at speaking in front of such a big crowd."

The look on Ladybug's face practically begged for a challenge, and Alya chose to meet it.

"Seriously, Ladybug? You were yelling at Hawk Moth on live TV since day one! Don't tell me you're gonna chicken out on a little livestream."

"Hmm, you have a point." Ladybug sat back down in her chair, as if to admit defeat. "Fine, you win. Let's do my announcement live on camera."

Alya raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

She finished adjusting the tripod, then clamped her phone into it.

"Alright, we're ready to go live." Her finger hovered over the _broadcast_ button. "But you still haven't told me what it is we're going to talk about."

Ladybug looked to the side of the stage and made a _come here_ motion before answering.

"Well, you see," she started. "I've been having some twin drama myself lately."

Motion from the corner of Alya's vision caught her attention, and she turned to see Chat Noir entering from stage left with another Ladybug.

She jumped so high that she nearly knocked over the tripod.

* * *

Gabriel made a point to doing deep research into his nemesis, even if it meant relying on a source as unprofessional as the _Ladyblog._ For what it was worth, Ladybug was seemingly close friends with the girl who created the blog, meaning she was privy to certain information that other news outlets weren't. Tonight, Gabriel hoped to glean _some_ sort of information that might help uncover the identity of Ladybug.

 _"Gooooood evening, Paris! Alya here. Tonight I am joined by a very special guest! Your eyes do_ not _deceive you_ _. There really are TWO Ladybugs here with me!"_

Gabriel glowered at the screen. There wasn't an Akuma active at the moment, and none of his recent Akumas had created a clone of Ladybug. The only possibility left was...

" _Nathalie._ "

She looked up from whatever she was doing at her desk. "Sir?"

"Come here, please." He tried to sound calm.

Nathalie rose and approached him. She didn't dare look at his computer monitor.

" _What_ did I tell you about using the Peacock Miraculous behind my back?"

She flinched at his tone. "You told me to never use it without your permission, sir."

That answer didn't seem to satisfy him. He waited for her to continue.

"Why are you asking me all of a sudden?"

Gabriel's stern gaze didn't waver.

"Because of _this_." He gestured to the screen.

_"...and with Bugette and myself, we can respond to trouble twice as fast!"_

_"Woah...!"_ Alya was trying to hold onto her professionalism, but it was tough not to just fangirl. _"_ _T_ _hat's awesome! Akuma attacks can take up SO much of the day, but I guess we can worry less about that now. So, anyway, back to my other question..."_

Nathalie gasped. "But I released that Sentimonster! It couldn't have survived!"

His gaze had gone from stern to borderline furious by now. His knuckles were white from gripping his desk.

"Clearly, it _did._ And now Ladybug has a new ally who just so happens to be a clone of herself!"

She took a cautious step backwards, her hands raising defensively.

"I swear to you, the Sentimonster was _gone._ Ladybug must have found a way to revive it."

"Obviously! And now I have another pest to deal with!" He hit the desk with his fist. The entire room shook.

She took another panicked step backwards, then took a few deep breaths to regain her composure.

"I can make it up to you, sir. Give me the Peacock Miraculous, and I will vanquish the Sentimonster for good."

It took a few more moments for Gabriel to calm down enough to speak.

"No. It's too dangerous. I will deal with the Sentimonster myself."

"But-"

" _No_. End of discussion."

Nathalie bristled at being dismissed so callously. She spun around on one heel to return to her desk, but paused before she made it all the way.

"May I remind you that only Mayura can track a Sentimonster?"

Gabriel hesitated.

"Fine," he conceded. "You can use the Peacock Miraculous. But you are _not_ to transform. You are only to have Duusu help you find the Sentimonster."

Nathalie nodded with her back still turned to him. "Understood, sir."

He couldn't see the wicked grin that had formed on her face when he accepted her offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently finished watching Korra for the first time and for SOME reason I can only imagine Gabriel speaking with Amon's voice now. I literally can't hear his canon voice in my head anymore.  
> Steve Blum just makes things better, really.


	9. Tikki is very tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a problem with Tikki, and she needs to see Master Fu right away.  
> Meanwhile, Nathalie begins her search.

The interview had gone well. Once Alya had finished poking and prodding both Ladybugs to make sure that neither was an illusion, she calmed down enough to listen to what they had to say. The explanation that they gave to Alya (and the entire populace of Paris via the _Ladyblog_ livestream) was that Bugette was the newest member of the team, and that she was created by the "magic of the Miraculous". That wasn't a lie, technically. But they left out the part that she was actually a creation of Mayura. Bugette is totally safe; Tikki had confirmed that there was absolutely no trace of Mayura left in her. But Ladybug and Chat Noir didn't want the stigma of being a Sentimonster to follow Bugette, so a partial explanation was what their fellow Parisians got.

Alya was _ecstatic_ to learn that Ladybug had the ability to create new life. She was barely sitting in her seat as Ladybug and Chat Noir gave their pseudo-explanation of the origins of Bugette.

Bugette herself stayed pretty quiet at first. She didn't like thinking about where she came from. Truthfully, she _still_ felt kind of guilty for being Mayura's puppet.

But as usual for Alya's livestreams, she didn't linger on the intended topic, and the discussion eventually turned to Hawk Moth.

Bugette had a _lot_ to say about him. She had some very strong opinions on which were his dumbest akuma ideas, and Alya was thrilled to hear all about it.

"Seriously, Glaciator was just stupid." She smacked her own face. "If it was during the day then he would melt and there wouldn't even be a fight!"

Alya snorted. "I'm impressed! You know a lot about akumas for someone born yesterday."

"Hey! I was born four and a half weeks ago!" She crossed her arms with a huff.

"I kid, I kid..." Alya held her arms up in surrender. "But you're right and you should say it. If all Hawk Moth wanted was to cry over a tub of ice cream he didn't need to make an akuma for it."

The four teens in the room erupted in laughter.

The rest of the "interview" consisted of everyone taking their turns at roasting Hawk Moth's failed plans. They lost track of time, and eventually the battery warning on Alya's phone popped up. Everyone said their hasty goodbyes to the audience, and Alya ended the livestream. She was sad to go, but she was also excited to update her wiki with all the new things she learned.

Alya, two Ladybugs, and one cat exited the theater building sometime past midnight. The heroes bid goodnight to Alya and made their way to the roof of to get enough height to leap to the next building. Chat Noir left first, vaulting up and away with his staff.

Ladybug was about to throw her yoyo, but Bugette grabbed her wrist.

"Wait." She had a nervous expression on her face. "There's someone watching us."

Ladybug looked around, but she saw nobody.

"Really?"

"Yes, really! Just listen."

"Okay."

She closed her eyes and listened, just as Bugette instructed. At first, she heard only the breathing of both herself and Bugette. But then she _felt_ it.

The strange thing about wielding a Miraculous is that it not only grants magical powers, but also enhances the wielder's senses in weird ways. Ladybug couldn't tell how, but she _did_ feel somebody nearby, watching them.

She opened her eyes, and nodded at Bugette. Wordlessly, the two of them came to an agreement and leapt off of the rooftop in opposite directions.

Bugette was absolutely right to be cautious. From behind a conveniently placed air conditioning unit rose Nathalie. She was sure she hadn't made a single noise. What gave her away?

* * *

Ladybug and Bugette dropped down through the skylight into their shared room.

"Spots-!" Ladybug started, but her super suit sparkled and vanished before she even finished calling out the detransformation phrase.

She stared bug-eyed at her own arms, then looked over at Bugette who had also detransformed without even saying a word.

Tikki, meanwhile, had floated lazily over to her cookie jar the moment she rematerialized. She landed on top of it, attempted to twist open the lid, then gave up and phased through to land inside.

"Marinette?" Bridgette was also worriedly inspecting her own body. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"No... that's not normal." She climbed down from the bed. "I've never had a transformation just run out like that. I didn't even call my Lucky Charm or anything!" She turned to look at her kwami through the glass jar. "Tikki?"

Tikki didn't respond. She was already asleep inside the jar with a cookie still partially in her mouth.

Marinette craned her neck upwards to face Bridgette and shrugged.

* * *

The next morning, Marinette didn't wake up to her alarm.

Instead, she woke up to her own voice frantically calling her name and a hand roughly shaking her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open to see Bridgette hunched over her. One glance at Bridgeette's face told Marinette that something was wrong.

"Marinette, come quick! I think Tikki's dead!" she said frantically.

"What!" Marinette bolted upright, then paused. "Wait a minute. Tikki is literally immortal. She can't be dead."

"But I can't wake her up!" Bridgette scrambled out of bed and picked up the cookie jar. "Look..."

The jar that had been about three quarters full last night was now empty. Sat belly up at the very bottom was Tikki.

Marinette made her way down the stairs and accepted the jar from Bridgette. She unscrewed the lid and flipped the jar over. Tikki tumbled out and landed in her palm with a sad _plop_.

The warmth of her hand caused Tikki to finally stir. She took a full minute before opening her eyes.

"Mmm..." She let out a little yawn. "Morning, you two."

"Good morning to you, too." Marinette gave her a worried look. "Tikki, are you, um..."

"Are you _dead!?_ " Bridgette interjected. She knelt down so Marinette's palm was at her eye level and examined Tikki as closely as she could.

"Huh? No, I'm fine." Tikki stretched her arms and sluggishly floated upwards. But the strain was clearly visible on her little face, and a few seconds later she gave up and sat back down. "Okay, I'm probably not fine..."

As Marinette held the little creature in her hands, she couldn't help but wonder, _Is it just my imagination, or is Tikki lighter than usual?_

The silent stare from both girls made Tikki uncomfortable.

"We need to see Master Fu right away." Marinette decided.

* * *

After eating a few more cookies and downing an entire flask of coffee with a gratuitous amount of sugar and cream, Tikki was feeling almost back to normal. But Marinette still felt uneasy about the forced detransformation the previous night.

The two girls and one kwami left the house, giving the excuse that Marinette needed to make a quick run to the fabric store. Bridgette didn't know who "Master Fu" was, but she was eager to go somewhere new. They made it across the street, then Marinette halted.

"Uh, right..." She smacked her face with her palm. "I forget that Master Fu isn't at his old massage place anymore. I needed a Lucky Charm to find him last time."

Cautiously, she opened her purse to let Tikki out. "Feeling good enough for a transformation?"

Tikki nodded. "Yes, but make it a quick one."

"Alright."

They made their way into an alley. One transformation and a Lucky Charm later, and Ladybug held an oddly-shaped whistle in her hands.

"It's... a birdcall?" She brought it closer to her eyes. "How am I supposed to find Master Fu with this?" She held it out to Bridgette, who only shrugged.

"Maybe it's for-" Bridgette started, only to be interrupted by the sound of many pigeons fluttering and a very familiar battle cry.

"Roo, ROO! Rejoice, my fellow pigeons, for Paris rightfully belongs to you! _Roooooooooo~!_ "

Bridgette's eyes were immediately drawn to the sky. She breathed in an excited gasp.

"It's Mr. Pigeon!" She was bouncing on her feet. "I've always wanted to meet him!"

Ladybug wanted to groan out loud at the idea of fighting Mr. Pigeon _again_ , but she held it in for the sake of Bridgette's excitement.

"Alright then," she said instead. "Let's show Hawk Moth what _two_ Ladybugs can do."

* * *

Chat Noir was already at the scene, frantically dodging the hundreds of pigeons that were all trying to divebomb at him. At the same time he had a baguette in his claws, and he was shredding it to pieces and throwing bits everywhere in an attempt to distract the other pigeons. It was a pretty sound strategy, but he was quickly running out of bread.

Mr. Pigeon stood overhead atop a platform made of pigeons. He was so focused on attacking Chat Noir that he didn't even notice the two Ladybugs sneaking up from behind.

Bugette threw out her yoyo to disperse the platform at the same time Ladybug threw out hers to tie him up. Mr. Pigeon hit the ground with a thud. Ladybug put the birdcall to her lips and blew, causing the rest of the pigeons to scatter. Not a moment later, Chat Noir joined them and Cataclysmed Mr. Pigeon's own birdcall, causing him to deakumatize. Ladybug snatched the fleeing butterfly out of the air and cast the Miraculous Ladybugs.

The entire battle (including the time Chat Noir spent finding a baguette) was over in minutes.

"Pound it!" the three of them called out.

"You know, I could really get used to this." Chat Noir held his arms lazily behind his head.

Bugette was excitedly clapping her hands together. "I got to help you guys!"

"That you did!" He now leaned an elbow on her shoulder, causing her cheeks to darken. "Great yoyo throw, by the way. Excellent form if I do say so myself."

"Haaaaaa... I mean... thanks...!"

Chat Noir grinned and continued to lean on her, then a question came to his mind.

"Anyway, what are you two up to? I noticed you had your Lucky Charm already when you showed up to the fight."

Ladybug blanched. Right. She almost forgot the reason she left the house today.

"There was something wrong with Tikki this morning. I was hoping my Lucky Charm would give me a hint for where to find Master Fu, but it gave me that birdcall instead. Now I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to stress Tikki out by summoning another Lucky Charm so soon."

Chat Noir lifted his weight off of Bugette and moved his hand to his chin, as if he was deep in thought. His cat ears flexed as he mulled over the options in his head.

"What if I do it?" Bugette spoke up.

The two other heroes turned to face her.

"Since you already used up your Lucky Charm, maybe I can do it for you?" she continued.

Ladybug shrugged. "Come to think of it, we never actually found out if you have the same powers as I do. Give it a shot, I guess."

"Right!" Bugette nodded, then took a step back. She threw her yoyo directly upwards. " _Lucky Charm!_ "

From above her, a movie ticket materialized out of thin air. The wind picked it up and started to carry it away, but Chat Noir was quick to react. He leapt up and snatched it before it could get too far.

"The movies! That sounds exciting." He examined both sides of the ticket before handing it to Bugette.

Bugette held the little bit of paper in her fingers very carefully. It was her first Lucky Charm, so she didn't want it to crumple.

Ladybug came closer to look at it herself. "A movie ticket...? Oh, right!" She held her fist in her palm. "The last time I saw Master Fu, he worked at a movie theater."

"Does he now?" He gave her a mischievous grin. "Do you think he can sneak us in to see free movies then?"

"Maybe if you ask him nicely." Ladybug winked and booped him on the nose. "Anyway, we gotta go before we detransform. Bug out!" She leapt away.

Bugette carefully deposited the ticket in the pocket space within her yoyo, then approached Chat Noir.

"Bye, kitty." She gave him a quick hug before turning to leave in the same direction as Ladybug.

Chat Noir gazed off in the direction that the two bugs had left and let out a content sigh.

* * *

From a nearby rooftop, Nathalie watched the whole scene with a pair of binoculars. She noticed the two Ladybugs leave, and tried to focus in on the direction that they took off.

"Is this what humans call 'birdwatching'?"

Nathalie flinched when the little voice broke her concentration. Duusu was perched on her shoulder, and unfortunately for her, he wasn't accustomed to keeping quiet.

"Duusu, please. I'm trying to focus here-"

"Because we're birds..." Duusu continued, undeterred. "...and we're watching." He clapped his paws together. "So, birdwatching!"

Nathalie blinked at the little peacock. Her train of thought was completely derailed now.

"That's not what it... wait... what do you mean _we_ are birds? I'm not a bird."

"Yes you are!" Duusu flew in a loop. "I'm a bird, and you're my little hatchling to take care of! We're both birds." He nodded sagely.

Nathalie had no idea how to respond to that. "I... am going to stop talking to you for now" she said firmly.

She replaced the binoculars in front of her face and scanned continued scanning for Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a little edit to this chapter.  
> Turns out, Duusu officially identifies as male. Didn't know that before. I edited this chapter to reflect that.


	10. Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls and Nathalie have an encounter, and Bridgette meets Master Fu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, Kart here.  
> Been a little while hasn't it?  
> School was a Thing preventing me from doing Other Things.  
> But anyway! Now I have time to work on this fic!  
> Starting with some edits to previous chapters...  
> I decided to make a change to the narration. Now, Bugette is called that only when she's transformed. Otherwise, she is Bridgette. Makes things more consistent with the other characters that have alter egos.  
> As for the future of this fic, I do have a (solid-ish) idea for the ending, but I don't quite know how to get there. But I estimate maybe 5 more chapters until we get there!

Ladybug rounded the corner and ducked into an alley nearby the movie theater. Bugette followed closely behind. Simultaneously, there were two flashes of bright pink light as both their transformations wore off.

Tikki materialized in front of Marinette and immediately collapsed onto her outstretched palm. She fell unconscious within seconds, just like the previous night.

Both girls hunched over the slumbering kwami. Bridgette reached out to stroke Tikki's head, then froze.

"We're being followed."

"Huh?" Marinette spun around. "Again?"

"Yes, again!" Bridgette was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What do we do?"

Marinette hastily stashed Tikki away in her purse.

The two girls frantically searched their surroundings for an exit. If they were being followed by somebody, then it would be a bad idea to leave the alley the exact same way they came in because whoever it was would see them both detransformed. They tried the few doors that led into the alley, but all were locked. Bridgette pointed to the fire escape up above, but Marinette shook her head. Climbing would be too slow.

"They're almost here!" Bridgette warned.

Marinette peeked behind a dumpster. There was just enough room between it and the wall for them to squeeze in. She crawled in and waved with her arm for Bridgette to follow.

They knelt and waited.

* * *

Nathalie had easily reacquired the two Ladybugs in her sights. Luckily for her, the bright red suit wasn't exactly ideal for stealth. She saw the two of them enter an alleyway followed shortly by a burst of light. She recognized that light as a sign that they had both detransformed. They were powerless and trapped in an alley between two tall buildings. Perfect.

She lowered her shades and flipped up her hoodie before following them inside. They were nowhere in sight. She quickly took note of her entire surroundings and noticed the large dumpster that sat at the back wall of the alley. Their hiding spot was too obvious.

Nathalie stalked forward. She surmised that they could be hiding either inside or behind the dumpster. Opting to check the less gross option first, she bent down and peered into the little space behind it.

And then a fist shot out and smashed into her nose.

"ARGHH!!" She reeled backwards and stumbled into a wall.

"Did you really just-!"

"Whatever! Go! Gogogogo!"

Nathalie staggered forwards, then was knocked back against the wall when one of them hurriedly shoved past her. With stars still clouding her vision, she barely registered the sounds of footsteps as her targets fled the scene.

* * *

The two girls burst through the front doors of the cinema. Marinette leapt over the ticket counter and Bridgette dove in after her.

They crouched and hid under the table. Neither girl said anything for a few minutes while they took the time to catch their breath after the mad dash away from their stalker.

"Who _was_ that just now?" Marinette hissed.

"It's Mayura. She's tracking us."

Marinette was stunned but also confused. _That was Mayura? But why wasn't she transformed?_

Bridgette curled into a ball with her knees pulled up to her chest. "I thought Tikki said she would never find me!" she whined.

Marinette shifted herself closer and put a comforting hand on Bridgette's shoulder.

"I'm confident that Tikki is right; Mayura's can't use her magic to get to you. She's still doing a scarily good job of following us around though. Somehow."

Bridgette curled in tighter. Marinette noticed how she was trying to regulate her breathing.

"Hey, it's not all bad." She gave her twin a reassuring squeeze. "We got away, didn't we? We just gotta be more careful from now on. If someone sees two Ladybugs hide in the same alley then two identical girls come out, then they would get suspicious. We should do what we did last night. If we split up, Mayura can't track us so easily."

Bridgette took a deep breath to steady herself, closing her eyes as she contemplated what Marinette said.

Breathe in. _Marinette is right._ Breathe out.

Breathe in. _I'm safe from Mayura as long as I listen to Marinette._ Breathe out.

She uncurled herself and reopened her eyes to see Marinette peering over the top of the counter.

"Marinette?" Bridgette reached up and tugged at her shirt.

Marinette took one last scan of the area before kneeling back down.

"Just checking to make sure that our stalker didn't come in here." She turned to Bridgette with a questioning look. "I barely even saw her face. How did you know that was Mayura?"

Bridgette gave Marinette a questioning look to match hers.

"You can't tell it's her?"

Marinette shook her head. A moment of silence passed while she waited for Bridgette to elaborate.

But Bridgette didn't know how to explain something she instinctively _knew._

Marinette wanted to prod further, but she was interrupted when someone approached them from the open side of the counter.

"Hello Marinette," a familiar voice greeted.

* * *

Nathalie tugged open the front door to the Agreste mansion and carefully stepped inside. She had her shirt pulled up to her face to cover up the bloody nose she earned whilst tracking the two Ladybugs.

She glanced nervously at the entrance to Gabriel's office, hoping to avoid him for the rest of the day. He hated failure almost as much as he hated the heroes, and she failed him today by letting herself get attacked by two _untransformed_ teenagers.

The door to the office was closed, so Nathalie felt safe to sneak to the bathroom to clean herself up and hopefully find a way to cover up her injury before Gabriel saw her.

"Nathalie."

Well, so much for that plan.

Her head snapped upwards to see Gabriel who had seemingly materialized at the top of the staircase.

"Where have you..." His stern voice wavered when he noticed the state of her face. "...been."

Nathalie didn't miss how his expression briefly flickered into one of concern. The part of her that was planning on lying to him silenced itself. She gave her nose another wipe before replying.

"I was out scouting."

"Scouting?"

"Yes, for the Sentimonster."

Gabriel approached her, never breaking eye contact with her as he descended the grand staircase. He found himself reaching up to her face, but he withdrew his hand before he could make contact. He looked away.

"The fact that you return with a bloody nose suggests to me that this was no mere 'scouting' mission. I ordered you to search for the Sentimonster, not engage in a direct confrontation!"

Nathalie flinched at his change in demeanor, but she stood her ground.

"I _cornered_ them. They were detransformed and helpless!"

"If they were so helpless then why do you limp back to me with a bloody nose!? All you had to do was to find the Sentimonster and have Duusu release the Amok, but clearly the _two_ of you are incapable of even that."

Nathalie was completely stunned. She had no comebacks left. Her fist holding her handkerchief clenched in anger, and the smallest bit of blood began oozing out and dripping onto the floor.

Gabriel's eyes flicked downwards when he noticed the droplets fall. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a step back when he realized just how close he was standing to her.

"...I will call the family physician to examine you," he said in a perfectly even tone before turning away from her completely and entering his office.

Duusu rose up and out of her pocket to put a comforting paw on her cheek.

Nathalie sighed. "Mr. Agreste has a point, you know." She plucked the kwami off of her face and held him in front of her. "Why didn't you release the Amok while you had the chance?"

"Because!" Duusu started. "There was no Amok to release."

Nathalie's eyes narrowed at the little bird. "Explain."

Duusu nodded before continuing. "We ran into two girls just now, but neither of them was a Sentimonster."

* * *

After Fu had found the two girls huddled behind the ticket counter, they had all moved to the unused back room that he had converted into his potion lab.

Marinette paced back and forth across the small room as she explained the what had happened in the past month.

"...and then I brought her home with me and named her Bridgette. I know, sounds like a big security risk, but Tikki tells me that it's fine! She might have been a Sentimonster originally, but she isn't one anymore. Tikki can explain a little better, but she's not, well... well."

The kwami in question lay unconscious atop the tea table in the middle of the room. Wayzz brought over a small cloth soaked in warm water to place on her head.

Fu was silent in concentration as he held his hand over Tikki, attempting to feel her energy as he listened to Marinette's story.

Bridgette, meanwhile, was in an awkward sitting/leaning position on the table. She had her cheek smooshed against the surface and was trying to get as close a look as she could at Tikki. Gingerly, she reached out a hand and pressed a finger on the dot on Tikki's head as if it were a power button.

"Aww," she said when Tikki didn't boot up.

Fu cracked open an eye when he felt the girl brush up against him, but he simply smiled at her and made no attempt to shoo her away.

He wasn't entirely surprised to meet her. It was his job to watch over the heroes, so he knew that his champions had acquired a new partner recently. However, he still knew almost nothing about this second Ladybug, so he was immensely curious as to how she came to be.

He listened intently as Marinette continued to retell the timeline of events with Bridgette occasionally chiming in with her own thoughts.

"For about the past month, Bridgette and I have been doing this sort of tag team. We've been taking turns doing patrols."

"Patrols are kinda boring when I'm alone. But not when Chat is there! We even got ice cream once! I tried to bring some back for you but I accidentally dropped it on the way home." Bridgette slumped on the table.

"Aww, you're so sweet! It's okay, you already help me a lot. Even without delivering me ice cream."

Marinette smiled at her twin. Bridgette beamed back at her.

Together, they finished telling the entire life story of Bridgette.

Fu took mental notes on everything the two girls shared with him. He was particularly perturbed at the events of the past twelve hours. Tikki had been knocked unconscious twice _and_ Mayura nearly caught them.

 _Disturbing news indeed..._ he thought to himself as he combed his free hand through his beard.

"I suppose I should deliver the good news first," he said as he lowered the hand that had been hovering over Tikki. "She will recover, but she needs a lot of rest."

An audible sigh escaped from both girls.

"And the bad news...?" Marinette spoke up after a pause.

"I don't have any bad news," he continued. "But I am deeply concerned as to why this has happened twice now. We must determine what is draining Tikki's energy so quickly."

He stood up. "Let's puzzle this out together, shall we? First, Bridgette. I would like Wayzz to examine you. Will you allow that?"

Bridgette didn't immediately answer. She looked to Marinette, who gave her a nod of approval.

She shifted herself to sit upright. "Okay."

"Wayzz," Fu said as he motioned for the kwami to join them.

"Yes, Master."

Wayzz floated up and landed on top of Bridgette's head. He put his two flippers on her scalp and breathed in.

After a few moments of concentration, he breathed out again and made his way back to his spot on the tea table to report his findings.

"What Marinette says is correct. Bridgette is not a Sentimonster. She is her own being with complete autonomy. However, she isn't a real human."

"What?" Bridgette's hands flew to her mouth. "But Tikki says I'm a real girl!"

Marinette moved to sit beside Bridgette and picked up both of her hands. "You _are_ real. Nobody here is contesting that." She turned to face Wayzz. "What are you talking about?"

"I apologize. That was insensitive of me to say." Wayzz bowed his head and started again. "What I mean is, she exhibits a couple of traits that humans typically don't possess, as I'm sure you are already aware. Her soul is contained externally within the charm around her neck. Furthermore, there is a great amount of creation energy stored within her body."

"Oh..." Bridgette sat back, only slightly mollified. "Okay."

"Huh." Marinette scratched her head. "Tikki never explained it that way before."

She glanced at Bridgette, and it was clear by the look on her face that talk of her origins was making her uncomfortable. Unfortunately, it was a conversation they needed to have if they wanted to help Tikki. They made eye contact, and Marinette asked her a silent question.

Bridgette responded by squeezing Marinette's hand tighter. She seemed to think about it, then nodded to grant her consent.

Fu watched as the two girls had their silent exchange, and he waited for either of them to speak their mind.

"Okay, so Bridgette is unique," Marinette said. "But what about Tikki? What does any of that have to do with her?"

"I believe understanding Bridgette's nature is the key to helping Tikki." He sat back down at the table and folded his hands in front of him. "I will answer your question with a question. Tell me, where does a Sentimonster draw its power from?"

Marinette pondered what he asked.

"The source of power for a Sentimonster is the peacock kwami. I think his name is Duusu?"

"Correct."

"But Master, we already established that Bridgette isn't connected to Mayura anymore."

He hummed in affirmation. "You are correct on that as well. Bridgette does not draw power from Duusu, meaning she is not a _Sentimonster_. However, she still has some similar qualities to a Sentimonster, as Wayzz just discovered. I believe she contains a significant amount of creation energy because-"

"Am I a Lucky Charm?" Bridgette interrupted.

All eyes in the room turned on her, and she shrunk from the sudden attention.

"I, uh, have a lot of creation energy in me. Just like a Lucky Charm does, right?"

Fu shook his head. "That is a very good observation, but no." He cleared his throat. "To put it simply, in lieu of Duusu's emotion energy, Tikki's creation energy is driving your life force."

"Woah..." Bridgette began examining her own hands.

As Marinette absorbed the new information, she realized she didn't like where this train of thought was going.

"Wait, but then what happens to Duusu when a Sentimonster is created? Does he get knocked out like this too?" She gestured to the still unconscious Tikki.

Fu shook his head again. "The Miraculous of the Peacock and the Butterfly are special in the sense that they channel the kwami's energy into both the wielder as well as an external host, be it an Amok or an Akuma. In order to prevent the kwami from being completely drained, there are magical protections put in place on those Miraculous which limit how much power the external host can utilize. Unfortunately, the Ladybug Miraculous has no such protections."

"And perhaps I misspoke earlier," Wayzz interjected. "Bridgette isn't quite a store for energy, rather a... siphon." His little face was full of concern.

It took a few moments for the implications of what Fu and Wayzz had said to sink in with Marinette.

"You mean... the reason this is happening to Tikki is..." She didn't want to finish that sentence.

"It's me." Bridgette's voice quivered. "I drain so much out of Tikki because I'm... not supposed to exist in the first place." She looked at the floor to hide her face.

Marinette reached out and pulled Bridgette into a hug, who automatically buried her face into Marinette's shoulder.

She started rubbing soothing circles into her twin's back.

"Oh Bridgette..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruh roh.


	11. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bridgette's very existence is a threat to Tikki's health.  
> But they can work out a solution that makes everyone happy, right?

"Master, please tell me that we're wrong. Bridgette can't be the cause of this," Marinette pleaded while continuing to rub Bridgette's back.

Fu's expression was grave. "While I cannot discount the idea entirely..." The look on his face softened. "I can at least reassure you of one thing. Bridgette, please look at me."

Bridgette took her time letting to of Marinette to face him.

"The original Guardians didn't put the same magical protections on the Ladybug Miraculous because they never fathomed creating new life with it," he said once he had her attention. "However, the Miraculous Ladybugs restore the world as it is meant to be. They restored _you_ because you belong in this world. Never doubt that."

Bridgette sniffed and rubbed at her nose.

"You really mean that?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Yes. Your existence is unexpected, but definitely no mistake." He smiled at her.

"I'm meant to exist," she whispered at first.

"You're meant to exist," Marinette repeated at her.

"I'm meant to exist," she said again with more determination.

"You got it!" Marinette clapped her on the back.

Marinette watched as relief washed over Bridgette's face. It was in that moment that Marinette realized why Bridgette was uncomfortable talking about where she came from.

 _I understand now,_ she thought to herself. _Bridgette was afraid of being called a mistake._

Marinette still had a number of questions about what she just learned, but Bridgette spoke up before she could vocalize any of them.

"Something doesn't make sense. Tikki was fine before. Only last night and now is she very tired."

Marinette thought about that.

"Actually... Tikki hasn't exactly been 'fine' lately. She's been kinda sluggish, also eating and sleeping more than usual. I didn't think anything was weird about it until now. But how did her condition suddenly get so much worse?"

"Hmm." Fu resumed combing his beard. "I'm not sure. But it may have to do with your recent change in habits."

"What do you mean, Master?"

He gestured forward to both of them. "Earlier, you mentioned that you have been letting Bridgette do patrols. Sometimes she is by herself, other times she is joined by Chat Noir. But you have never done it together, correct?"

Marinette nodded. "I didn't want to reveal that there were two of us quite yet."

"I see. However, that changed recently, didn't it? Between last night and this morning, both you and Bridgette were simultaneously transformed, twice. Both times, Tikki was knocked out shortly after," he noted.

"I'm beginning to see a trend," Wayzz spoke up. "Tikki has enough energy to support only one of your transformations at a time."

The two girls glanced at each other. Marinette blinked. Bridgette blinked back.

"In other words, the solution is to just..." Marinette started.

"...take turns transforming?" Bridgette finished.

Fu's brow furrowed.

"I'm afraid it might not be so simple. The logistics of timesharing Tikki's power are more complicated than you realize."

"But we were doing a good job at it!" Bridgette interjected.

"Yes. But I fear that taking turns might not be sustainable in the long term. If you make a mistake in coordination and both transform at the same time, you will end up putting Tikki, and therefore each other, out of commission for a full day," he warned. "Furthermore, we don't know all the potential health risks associated with Tikki splitting her power between two hosts. Kwamis may be immortal, but they can still fall ill."

Marinette's eyes narrowed. "What... are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that you pick the safest option." He swallowed, already regretting what he was about to say. "That is, Bridgette should refrain from calling her transformation."

Bridgette gasped.

"No transforming... ever?"

Fu bowed his head forward.

"I'm so sorry."

* * *

Nathalie sat on the bed with a huff. The physician had come and stuffed her nostrils with gauze, and now she was resting in one of the several guest rooms in the mansion.

Actually, Nathalie often found herself spending the night in this particular room, so really it was only a 'guest' room in name. She had appropriated it for herself a long time ago.

"Duusu," she called out, her nasally voice making her cringe.

"Miss Nathalie?" The kwami appeared in her peripheral vision, hanging upside down from the lamp on her nightstand.

"I want to continue our discussion about the Sentimonster-"

" _Not_ Sentimonster!" he corrected.

Nathalie gritted her teeth.

"Fine. I want to talk about the _girl_ we encountered. She was my Sentimonster, but now she's not. How did she become that way?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Duusu performed a loop in front of her face. "It took me a little while to realize what she was. It's been millennia since Tikki's powers combined with mine in this way."

"Tikki...?" Nathalie raised an eyebrow.

"She's the Ladybug kwami," he supplied. "As I was saying, Tikki's power sometimes interacts with mine, and the reaction is always faaaaaaascinating!"

"This has happened before?" Nathalie was fully interested now.

"Yes it has!" He chirped. "It's only happened a few times. The circumstances are always a little bit different, but each time a Sentimonster would come into possession of their own Amok, and then they would be infused with some amount of creation energy. The resulting creature is no longer a Sentimonster and has complete autonomy."

She glowered at him. "You lost control of those creatures?"

"I wouldn't put it that way..." Duusu rubbed his paws together. "But yes. Those creatures had no tether to the wielder of my Miraculous."

She crossed her arms, unsatisfied with his answer. "Are you telling me that any Sentimonster I create can simply be stolen by Ladybug?"

He shook his head. "Unlikely! Ladybug is not the first person to attempt to grant freedom to a Sentimonster. But as I said, only few have actually gained complete autonomy."

She dialed back her glare when she had to readjust the gauze in her nose. She then picked up her tablet and opened the notes app to jot down what she had learned from Duusu so she could share the information with Gabriel later, but her fingers hesitated to move. Gabriel would give her hell if he found out that Bugette had her own free will. She had a sneaking suspicion that the mistake would fall on _her_ head even if she couldn't have prevented it.

Carefully, she replaced her tablet on the nightstand and asked Duusu one more question.

"Is there nothing at all I can do to get back control?"

He put a paw to his chin in thought.

A beat of silence passed between them.

" _Well?_ " she demanded when he didn't respond immediately.

* * *

"There has to be _something,_ " Marinette argued at Fu. She was back to holding Bridgette, who was currently laying her head in Marinette's lap.

"I understand your reluctance-"

"We _just_ introduced Bugette to the entirety of Paris last night. You mean we have to tell everyone that their new protector is suddenly retired now?" she snapped at the old Guardian.

He sighed deeply. "I agree that Bridgette has the potential to become a great hero. Sadly, given the circumstances, I cannot advise that she fulfil that potential."

Marinette felt Bridgette shake. She could tell that Bridgette was trying her best not to cry again. She was filled with a sudden, righteous anger on her twin's behalf.

"You don't-!" she nearly yelled at him, but her voice caught when she had no counterargument.

Fu remained silent for a few moments while he chose his words carefully.

"I'm truly sorry, but this is the..." He hesitated. "...best guidance I can offer."

She wanted to talk back at him but couldn't bring herself to do it. The fire in her subsided as she reminded herself that Fu was not at fault for Tikki's condition. He was trying his absolute best to offer a safe solution.

She stroked Bridgette's hair as she thought of what to say next, but she was interrupted again, this time by Wayzz.

"Er, Master." He floated up nervously. "Isn't there something you're not telling them...?"

Fu's eyes widened as his kwami. Marinette narrowed her eyes at Fu.

"You're hiding something," she stated.

He felt a physical force behind her words.

"Not at all, Marinette." He tried to keep his voice steady. "Wayzz is simply referring to a part of the spellbook that I have yet to fully translate."

"Spellbook?" Bridgette perked up a little, but she didn't shift from her spot in Marinette's lap. "Like, what a wizard uses? Are you a wizard?"

"No, I am a Guardian. But it is not uncommon for us Guardians to be mistaken for wizards. We study magic, after all."

"Oh," she said.

"And?" Marinette prompted. "Did you find something that could help us?"

"Yes... and no." He crossed his arms. "A few months ago, I discovered that there were more potion recipes in the book than I had initially thought. However, these recipes were encoded differently than the rest of them. I have been unable to decipher any of them so far, but perhaps that is for the better."

She leaned in to signal that she was listening.

"You see," he continued. "There is a warning written at the start of the section that these recipes are experimental. In their current state, consuming these potions could be detrimental to both the kwami and wielder."

"That's... mildly terrifying. But do you at least know what types of potions we're dealing with?"

"Yes, I do. In fact, one of the new potions could be very useful in this situation. It is essentially an energy drink for kwamis."

"An energy drink!" Marinette clapped her hands together. "That sounds perfect!"

"It really would be." Fu nodded. "But after all these months, I have not made any progress in translation, much less found a way to make the potion safe to use."

She felt her heart sink just a little.

But Bridgette pushed herself up. She rubbed her eyes with her fist.

"If you make the potion, can I be Ladybug again?"

"It will take me considerable time, but yes. The potion should enable you to safely transform without putting extra stress on Tikki. In the meantime, please be patient."

"Patient! I can do that!" Bridgette enthusiastically agreed.

Marinette bumped her shoulder. "I'm not so sure about that," she teased.

"Hey!" Bridgette bumped her back, and then fully tackled her to the ground.

Fu let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as the tension eased from the room. He gazed fondly at the two girls as they playfully wrestled.

Then an idea came to him.

He cleared his throat to get their attention once again.

"I cannot say how long it will take for me to develop the potion," he started once they stopped tossing on the floor. "But I _can_ give you something to make the wait a little more bearable."

"Me?" Bridgette pointed to herself when she realized she was being addressed.

Fu stood up and padded over to the gramophone.

Marinette gasped when she realized what he was about to do.

He pushed a few buttons, retrieved the Miracle Box, and set it on the table.

"Bridgette Dupain-Cheng," he intoned. "Come forward."

She scuttled up to the ornate box and peered down at it. She startled when several compartments in it opened up.

He suppressed a laugh at her reaction, then leveled his expression before speaking. "I will grant you a Miraculous of your choosing."

She eyed him in surprise. "I can pick..." She waved her hand over the box. "...any of them?"

He bowed at her. "Consider this an apology. And..." He raised his head. "An opportunity to try something new."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which Miraculous will Bridgette pick?


End file.
